Today we rode 30 miles and I was so dumb! in the flurry of getting ready to go, I forgot to put sunblock on all of us ... and ... I was wearing a pullover tank style top with my shoulders exposed. See pic for how a jersey girl looks when she gets a little too much Florida sunshine.

Today's ride was the closest we've come to how it's really going to be on our bike ride. We pulled together our sleeping bags, bed rolls, tent, cooking utensils, clothes, first aid kit, etc and packed them all on the three bikes. We changed up the towing plan again, in hopes of utilizing only the single wheel trailer which tows easier. More about that later.

Right now, we have 4 basic pannier bags that mount on the rear racks of the Beast's bike and my bike. I attached the two lightest panniers to her bike and put the cooking utensils and the Beast's clothing pannier bag on my bike. FYI, the Beast's clothes are lighter weight and take up less room that Frankenbutt's and mine, so we added some heavier items to her pannier to counter balance the weight of the cooking utensils pannier. The Beast also had the 3 bulky but very lightweight bedrolls bungy corded down to the top of her rear pannier rack. I had the largest sleeping bag on my rear rack and then threw the Beast's sleeping bag into my front basket. Frankenbutt's bike trailer had Coco's soft side crate in it with an extra fleece blanket for her comfort during the ride plus a stadium style fold flat canvas seat under the crate. On his rear rack, we attached the tent and his sleeping bag.

We each did a test run down our road and found that the bikes were pretty balanced and easy to ride with the added load. We locked up the house and headed out for a longer test ride. I must admit, the uphill portions of the ride were easier without pulling a trailer and the panniers didn't seem to change our average speed or comfort level during the ride. Frankenbutt said that Coco seemed OK with the new arrangement and settled in after arranging the fleece blanket the way she wanted it. The Beast noted early on that she didn't feel great today; even felt a little queasy. Once we got to the bike trail, we pulled off into a shady pavillion and had her take a few minutes in the shade to eat a power bar and drink some water. After a bit, she decided to continue on the ride and little by little got to feeling better. I was glad she found a way to push through it and she seems fine this evening so I figure it was probably just a passing reaction to something.

Frankenbutt was feeling really strong and asked if it was alright if he rode a little faster and met up with us at the next pavillion. The Beast and I agreed and he took off, averaging about 5-6 miles faster per hour than when he rides with us. He enjoyed his ride and I don't begrudge him for wanting to go "all out" when he was feeling a lot of energy. Once on our bike trip, those opportunities will be limited. Furthermore, it left the door open for the Beast and me to have some mother/daughter talk time. I asked the Beast how she was feeling and she shrugged. I sensed there was something she wanted to talk about but I've learned to let my children say what's on their mind in their own time and way. After a while, she said "Mom, why are we doing this big bike ride, any way?" I said there were many reasons. She said,"if it's about exercise, can't we stay home and go swimming every day?" I told her that sounded very relaxing and although we'd get exercise, I doubt it would do for us what I believe this ride will do. I explained that sometimes we all need to do something bigger than we are; we need to attempt something that we are not sure we can accomplish. We need to find the strength to do something "epic". I promised her that although it will be one of the toughest things we'll do together, we'll all be glad we've done it. I also promised her that she would find a lot to like about this ride; things that she wouldn't imagine she'd like. Although she's still apprehensive about this, I think she's at least intrigued by these unknown adventures ahead. Considering her age, I know this is not the end of this conversation, but at least we're talking about it. Regarding the ride today, we passed plenty of riders of all kinds out on the trail. There were racers in full top end gear and on very well made (and pricey) bikes and there were couples riding and laughing together in shorts and t-shirts. There was a family on roller blades, pushing a baby stroller and there were joggers, too. At the pavillion where we met up with Frankenbutt, 2 ladies were applauding each other's efforts for having run 13 miles today. They are preparing for the Iron Woman competition at Clearwater in April. I was so impressed that I congratulated them and wished them well. We told them we were also training and told them about our ride. One of the ladies said she's going to check out our website which made my day. I used to run, mostly to relieve stress when my first marriage was ending. I never got above 3 miles distance in a single run although I tried and tried. They'll be running a half marathon and I wish them all the success in that tough undertaking!We made it home in under 3 1/2 hours after taking water and snack breaks as well as Coco breaks. After a cool shower and change of clothes, I tackled filing our income taxes online. I hope I did it right because this year, they owe me money! YES! I was so engrossed in all the details that I didn't notice Frankenbutt had taken a nap, a real rarity for him. He awoke as I shouted, "Woo Hoo! we're getting money back, for a change!" I could see he wasn't feeling his best when he started sneezing and holding his sinuses. Apparently, I've given him my cold. Sorry, hon. I suppose the Beast is next. As of tomorrow, there are only 50 days left 'til we hit the road. It feels like we're on track with our training, and I think we have most of our gear squared away. If all goes well, we'll get the house under a lease or lease/purchase within 3-4 weeks. I'm sure there are a bunch of details I've still got to take care of; time to make the countdown list. Hope you had a great day! Thanks for taking the time to join us via this blog!

Sounds like you are all doing so well. I am so proud of all of you. And my young hero, this is something you will remember for the rest of your life. If you ever forget, you have this blog to remind you just what a crazy life you are living. You have this rare opportunity to do what many your age, would not even dream about. Besides, can this trip REALLY be any crazier of an idea than anything else your family has put you through?

Butterball and Frankenbutt...live it to the fullest...as you always do! Everyone has much to learn from this adventure, not only the travels you will be doing, but also the team work, cooperation, and unconditional love that so many families seem to forget about too much.

You guys rock! Have fun!

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A BMX mom and First Time Blogger who loves travelling, playing poker and laughing every day!